


we remember moments.

by aceface



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-02
Updated: 2010-04-02
Packaged: 2017-10-08 15:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceface/pseuds/aceface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David Archuleta moves from DioGuardi High and makes friends with a reluctant Allison, who relies on best friends Kris Allen and Adam Lambert to help her figure things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	we remember moments.

Allison hates school, she really does. St Jude's is pretty much the worst school ever anyway; if her school was better -- if she went to DioGuardi High, for example, like Adam does -- then it wouldn't be so bad. But St Jude's sucks. The cliques -- like, Allison feels like she's in a teen movie sometimes, because before DioGuardi High, she never really thought cliques existed. But the cheerleaders here are super popular, and there are even _jocks_, like what even _is_ that? If it wasn't for Kris, St Jude's would be unbearable. It's bad enough that Allison is known as the weird chick with the red hair, yeah, she's weird and has red hair, but it's like -- why should she be _known_ for that?

"I wish Adam came here," Allison says to Kris for, like, the hundredth time. It's still true, though. She's sat on the picnic bench, leaning against Kris as he tangles her hair around his fingers. "He'd blow off all the popular kids who wanted to be his friend and just hang with us."

"Nah, Adam doesn't blow off strangers anymore now he's dating me," Kris says, in that wickedly deadpan tone that always surprises Allison, somehow. "Besides, you like being the outcast. Don't lie to me."

It's not true, exactly. Allison wouldn't like being popular, though, that's for sure. And she kind of likes feeling different, likes that feeling of knowing they'll all regret not being nice to her once she's made it as a rock star. "I don't know," she says thoughtfully. "Maybe I'm just lonely."

"Lonely?" Kris repeats, tugging lightly on a strand of her hair. "When you've got me? What, I'm not good enough for you now?"

"No, loser, I'm way too cool for you," Allison teases him. "Even if I wasn't, you and Adam have each other and, dude, I don't know, I just feel like the third wheel sometimes or whatever, and I don't even _like_ wheels. I don't _wanna_ be a wheel."

Kris rolls his eyes, letting go of Allison's hair to slip an arm around her. "You are not a wheel, okay? I can't believe I'm even having this conversation with you, you just want an attention boost."

And maybe that's a little bit true but Allison is _allowed_ to want an attention boost, especially on days like today when nothing is going right. Nothing's going _wrong_ either, not really, but Allison wants to shake things up a bit, ya know? It's just that life is so _boring_ right now, it's just routine over and over, blah blah blah. Make it through school as best she can each day, eat lunch with Kris or on her own if he's playing viola in band, hang out with Adam on the weekends -- it's fun, but it's not exciting. It's just same old, same old.

"Nothing ever _happens_ to me," she whines, feeling sorry for herself, and Kris's arm tightens around her.

"Nothing bad ever happens to you," he says neutrally and Allison rolls her eyes.

"Nothing _interesting_ happens, Kris!" Kris looks at her knowingly and okay, so maybe Allison's exaggerating a little; lots of interesting things happen. Karaoke nights with Kris and Adam, shopping with Adam and water fights with all of them, and Allison actually loves her life but sometimes she just feels like she's missing something. Like there should be more to it, and there isn't, and she doesn't know what to do about it.

Kris doesn't say anything else and neither does Allison; she has her lunch to eat, anyway, and she's going for sushi with Adam after school which is always fun. Kris refuses to come, he hates sushi, and it's nice that sometimes Allison gets a little alone time with Adam. She sees Kris on his own every day, at school -- they don't really hang out with anyone else, although Kris says hi to Matt Giraud when they pass in the hallways. They have a class together or something, Allison doesn't really care. She kind of wishes _she_ had a class with Kris, only he's the year above her.

Whatever. Allison would own this school if she wanted to. 

\---

Allison eats lunch alone on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because Kris is at band, so she does what she always does: turns up the volume on her iPod and eats her lunch alone. She's halfway through her lunch when she vaguely hears something over the sound of Suzie Quatro spilling out of her earbuds, but it's only when a shadow falls across her that she tugs them out of her ears and glances up. She doesn't know who she expects to see, really; Kris is playing viola in band or whatever, being the giant dork that he is, and no one else really speaks to her.

She doesn't recognise the guy stood in front of her and raises an eyebrow (it took her forever to teach herself how to do that but it was totally worth it, okay). He smiles and wow, okay, it's like the sun just came out. Allison's maybe dazzled a little bit, and it reminds her of the time Adam tried to persuade her to read Twilight (she got to the bit where Edward sparkled in the sunlight and laughed so hard that Adam had taken the book away from her and sulked). 

"Oh, hi, sorry," the guy says, and gestures at the space next to her on the bench. "I just wondered -- I mean, I'm new, I'm David Archuleta, um. Can I sit here?"

Allison squints up at him -- he's standing right in front of the sun, and she shades her eyes with her hand. "It's suicide, you know. Socially, it's social suicide, sitting with me. You might as well, like, throw yourself off the roof over there, because that's the equivalent of hanging with me, man. I'm just warning you."

"Okay, but that's not what I asked," the guy points out, and dumps his bag down next to her. "I'm not interested in being popular, anyway. That's what you meant, right?" He doesn't want for an answer but sits next to her, hesitantly, as though he thinks she'll yell at him or something.

"Yeah, that's what I meant," Allison agrees. "David, did you say your name was?"

"Yeah! David Archuleta, I just -- I'm new here, but I said that already I think?"

"You did. You also asked if you could sit there, but you've gone right ahead and done it anyway." Allison isn't sure why she's being such a bitch, especially to David who looks like he shits rainbows. She's still in a bad mood from this morning, maybe, when some cheerleader managed to knock her off balance. Allison is clumsy, and she can admit that, but it's still a bitch when she hits a wall. It'd been her elbow today, and it was still stinging. She probably shouldn't take it out on David, though.

"Oh, sorry, did you -- are you saving it for someone?" he apologises right away, and Allison pushes her hair out of her face so she can see him properly.

"No, I wasn't, sorry. I'm Allison Iraheta."

"And you're the social equivalent of jumping off a roof," David adds, and grins at her. It's pretty much adorable, actually, and Allison maybe blushes a little bit in spite of herself.

"Something like that. You've made the decision now though, dude, there's no going back."

"I wouldn't want to anyway," David says, and smiles brightly. He doesn't seem to be embarrassed, like, _at all_, so Allison assumes he's just being friendly and there's absolutely no reason why her stomach would be doing flip-flops at that. (She's kind of glad Kris isn't around, though.) "So, um -- do you always sit on your own?"

"_No_," Allison says, and glares at him. "I'm not some loser, I have friends. It's just that some of my friends go to DioGuardi High, I've only got Kris -- that's my best friend here. I mean, I speak to some other people but we're not like BFF status or anything, ya know?"

"Oh, I used to go to DioGuardi High," David says wistfully, apparently oblivious to Allison's tone. "It was really fun, gosh, it's not like this at all. Not that -- I mean, this is fun, _you're_ fun, I just--"

"You miss DioGuardi, right," Allison fills in and then she feels mean. "So how come you transferred here?"

"Oh, well, I'm actually, um, Mormon?" David says, his voice rising on the end like it's a question. It's kind of adorable, actually. "So -- St Jude's was full at the time, so I went to DioGuardi, but my mom and dad wanted me to go to -- a religious, you know, Catholic school. So a place opened up and I just, I came here instead."

"And now you have to be the new kid," Allison says. "Hm. So did you know Adam Lambert?"

"Oh, yeah, everyone knew him," David says, smile back in place. "Yeah, he's really awesome, I didn't really talk to him much but everyone likes him. Is he your friend?"

"Yeah, he is," Allison says proudly. She feels kind of sorry for David; he obviously wants to be at this school about as much as Allison does, and he hasn't chosen the best person to make friends with. Except he _has_, Allison reminds herself, because she's only, like, the coolest person at this school and she should -- not show David that, but... be friendlier, maybe. Allison is awesome when she's friendly. "So what do you think of this place so far?" she asks, gesturing with her free hand, and David laughs -- loud, and unselfconscious, and his whole face changes.

"Oh gosh, I don't know! It's just -- all so new. Everyone seems to be in groups a lot more," he adds, wrinkling his nose (and Allison shouldn't find it adorable, but she does. Only a little). 

"Yeah, it's like clique central," Allison responds, waving her hands in the air and forgetting about her iPod. It makes a loud _thunk_ as it hits the ground and David's gaze flicks to it, then back to her face. "Yeeeeeeah," Allison says, staring at the iPod's dark screen as she draws the word out. "I've maybe fucked that up."

"We can listen to mine, if you want?" David offers, as Allison leans down to pick her iPod up and try and reset it. "I have some headphone splitters."

"Hmm." Allison shoves her iPod in her pocket and scrolls through his, stopping almost straight away. "Shit, man, you like Axium?"

"Oh, um, yeah, who doesn't?" David says, and he has a point. Axium are like, local heroes around here, pretty much everyone is a fan of them. That's 'cause they're awesome, though. Allison maybe fangirls David Cook a little bit. She doesn't have a giant crush on him or anything (no more than anyone else, anyway) but he's doing what Allison would love to do; he has a band and he's making music. He's kind of her inspiration.

David starts to say something else but Allison shushes him impatiently as _Call Out_ begins to play. It's pretty much her favourite and she doesn't want to miss the best bit.

Listening to David's iPod together starts to become a routine, even after Allison manages to fix her own. Kris has band on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so David always eats with her then. She doesn't know what he does on the other three days of the week, eats lunch in the library or something seeing as how she's never seen him talking to anyone but her (not that Allison minds. She quite likes being the only one worth his time), but it's not her problem. 

She starts looking forward to their lunchtimes, anyway. David plays her all the music he's into; Jason Mraz and John Mayer and Regina Spektor, music Allison's heard of but never really thought to listen to, and in return she makes him download some Weezer, or Pink. David's listened to Pink before but only the singles, and they start listening to more of her albums together. It's fun, discussing it and talking about it, and Allison likes hearing what David thinks of it.

She listens to the music he recommends her at home sometimes; twisting the wire of her iPod headphones around her fingers as John Mayer sings in her ears and she wonders if David's listening to it right now, if she's hearing the same thing he is. It's -- probably a really weird thing to do, actually, and if Kris or Adam ever found out they'd tease her mercilessly (or even think it was _cute_, which just -- no). But it's just nice. David's a _friend_.

(Allison doesn't think about the fact that Kris is her friend as well, and she's certainly never laid awake while listening to her iPod and thinking of _him_.)

(And ew, that would be really fucking weird, actually. Allison needs, like, brain bleach or something.)

_Anyway_, David's taste in music is pretty alright, actually. She tells him this one time when they're hanging out, and he gives her the face he makes when he can't quite work out if it's a compliment or not. Allison gets that a lot from him.

"You're so judgey," he says absently, while she's scrolling through his iPod and it takes her like, five whole minutes before she realises that's not a word. She glances up at David to see if he's being serious but he's smiling at her, and Allison's smiling back before she realises. "You get pretty engrossed in that stuff."

"Music?" Allison shrugs, handing the iPod back to him. "I guess. I really want to be a singer, ya know? So I figure knowing about music is kinda important."

"Oh, me too," David says immediately. "Not that I'm, um, copying you or anything. I just, I want to be a singer. As well."

"Don't worry about it, dude," Allison says easily, then taps the iPod with one black-painted nail. "C'mon, choose a song. I'm getting bored of silence, here."

Another time, David touches her hair with his fingers hesitantly, almost like he's not sure he's allowed. Allison wrinkles her nose at him but doesn't pull away, letting him twist a few strands around his fingers and hold them up to catch the light. He doesn't say anything, as he strokes it with his thumb, and Allison is willing to bet that he doesn't even realise what he's doing. Normally, when people do that with her hair (unless it's Kris or Adam, but they've both earned the right to do it), Allison feels tethered to them. She doesn't like the feeling of not being able to stand up without, like, ripping her hair out.

But she doesn't -- it's not that she likes being _tethered_ to David because, hi, how fucking weird would _that_ be, really. It's just -- she trusts him, kind of. Which should be stranger than it is, but really, she sees him every day. They have class together, they have lunch together -- in school, she probably spends just as much time with him as she does with Kris, if not more. It seems that David's a part of her life now.

Allison hums lightly to herself, and settles her head on his shoulder. David doesn't even flinch. Instead, he brushes her hair out of her face and turns up the volume on his iPod.

\---

Somehow, Allison isn't quite sure exactly how, her pen has leaked all over fingers. She only realises when she rubs absently at her cheek (it's itchy, okay, and totally needs to be rubbed) during a particularly boring Algebra class. David's sat next to her but even he can't make it more interesting; the teacher's threatened to give out detentions to anyone who speaks, just because some of the boys got a little rowdy earlier, and so everyone's just sat in silence taking notes.

David reaches over to wipe the ink from her face without looking up from his notes. Allison likes that he can do that; she's always been jealous of Kris and Adam's easy friendship, the way they seem to share a hive mind or something -- Allison is best friends with them, of course, but sometimes even she can feel on the outside. But David -- he's more like Allison than she lets herself admit, and she can usually tell more or less what he's thinking.

He swipes his thumb over her cheekbone, wiping it on a scrap of paper before continuing to take notes. It's like nothing's even happened -- and nothing out of the ordinary _has_, so there's no reason why Allison should be, like, frozen to the spot. It's just -- her face heated up, for no reason, and now she's blushing and she can still feel where David touched her. It's no big deal, it really isn't, but Allison's nervous -- like, butterflies are in her stomach all of a sudden.

David looks over at her, his gaze questioning, but Allison can't bring herself to meet his eyes and stares at her work until he looks away again. Maybe she's coming down with something. She does feel pretty hot, maybe she's got a fever. She takes a risk and texts Adam under the table; _supah hawt right nowww!11! think ive got a feeever :(:(:(_. He doesn't respond but that's probably for the best, because the teacher's already looking at her suspiciously and Allison is a shitty liar. Sliding her phone back into her bag, she carries on focusing on her work.

She can feel David's gaze still on her and it's uncomfortable in a way that it hasn't been before. She's just -- aware of it, and it makes her aware of _herself_, all clumsy and awkward and worried about what she's doing. Allison blows a piece of hair away from her face in frustration. She doesn't understand what's going _on_, this is totally weird. When the class ends, she shoves her things in her bag and hurries out before she has to speak to David -- they don't have their next class together anyway, it'd make no sense to wait for him.

That doesn't explain why she blows him off at lunch, either. It's a Tuesday, so Kris is at band, and Allison starts to head over to her usual spot before seeing David sat there. She feels sick -- she is totally coming down with something, is all -- and her stomach does a weird twisty thing when she notices how alone he looks; staring at his feet, mouth pulled down at the corners._That's your fault_, says a traitorous voice in her head, but whatever. Allison never promised she'd sit with him. It's not like a _thing_.

On Wednesday, David isn't there. Of course he isn't, they never sit together on Wednesdays anyway. Allison doesn't know why she was expecting him to be there, maybe. It's not like she wanted him to be, in fact, she's totally relieved that he isn't. She doesn't see him for the rest of the week (clearly, the boy knows how to take a hint) and if Kris notices that Allison's not as happy as usual, then he doesn't mention it. In fact, Allison's feeling like she got away with it pretty well.

That is, until Kris gives her a ride home on Monday and ends up driving her to In-N-Out instead and buying her a Choco-Vanilla shake. Allison totally doesn't suspect anything -- Kris is sneakier than she gives him credit for, clearly -- until he rests his elbows on the table and says, "So why've you been so blue lately?"

Allison almost chokes on her shake, giving Kris her most innocent look. "I have no idea what you're talking about. And what is that, calling me blue? No one uses that anymore, son! Get your head in the game!"

Kris shakes his head at her like he's disappointed or something. "I can tell something's up, Allison. Is it to do with David?"

Kris has met David once, when band was cancelled and Kris came to eat with them. It was kind of awkward, really. Both of them were super polite to each other but it wasn't the same, and Allison was relieved when Kris said something about going to practice with Matt. Nevertheless, that doesn't give Kris the right to assume things. Allison blows bubbles with her straw and ignores the question.

"So that's a yes. You're so obvious, Alli." Kris pulls a face at her, and Allison resists the urge to blow milkshake at him through her straw. "Just work it out, whatever it is. You're making yourself miserable, and probably him as well."

Allison refuses to talk about it, but it's on her mind all the way home. On Tuesday, she sees David stood at his locker and gets the usual flip in her stomach. Just because she likes him (and she kind of really does), doesn't mean she should take it out on him. Kris is right (not that she'd ever admit it), she's making him miserable and that's not something that she wanted to do.

"Suck it up, Allison," she mumbles to herself and heads over to David, jamming her hands in her pocket. "Heeeey, David, old friend. How's it going?"

David looks at her and Allison bites her lip, hoping he won't ask for an explanation. He looks like he's considering saying something for a moment, but then he looks defeated turns away. "Hey, Allison. What's up?"

"Look, I just -- I'm sorry for last week, I freaked out a little bit. Are we good? I won't do it again, I don't know why I did." It's a lie, that last bit, and they can both tell but David smiles at her and a load falls from Allison's shoulders that she hadn't realised she'd been carrying around for the past week. The next few days, David starts opening up to her again, and it doesn't take long until they're both fully comfortable with each other.

Still, there's a tension between them that wasn't there before. Sometimes they'll fall silent in the middle of a conversation and David will catch Allison looking at him, or their hands will brush and they'll pull away. It's weird, but not unpleasant. Allison isn't sure how she feels about these new developments but Kris isn't taking her for milkshakes anymore, so she figures she's not miserable. So that's good.

\---

"Um, hey, I was wondering," David says one day out of the blue, suddenly very interested in his hands. It's weird; Allison's seen David embarrassed before, of course she has, he's like a walking apologising awkward machine (not that she can really judge because, hey, she's Clumsy McPerson most of the time) but usually he just laughs it off. He doesn't go all serious, Allison hardly ever sees him being serious, that's one of the things she likes about him so much. 

He doesn't say anything else, even though she's waiting, so she pokes him in the side. It's a little harder than she meant to, and David flinches but doesn't hit her hand away or complain like usual and, okay, Allison's maybe a little bit worried. "C'mon, David." She pulls a face, rolling her eyes until she's cross eyed. "Put me out of my suspense here, son!"

"Oh my gosh, why do you even say that?" David says, but he still doesn't look at her. "I just thought, you know..." He mumbles something that sounds suspiciously closer to 'damnit' than 'darn it' and Allison holds in a giggle at her influence on him. "So David Cook's playing a show with his band, um, Axium, on Saturday night? I wondered if you wanted to go. Um, with me."

"Like a date?" Allison asks straight away and then curses herself because why did she even ask? She should have said yes first, at least -- now if David says no, it'll be super awkward, Allison isn't sure that she wants to deal with that level of awkwardness.

"Yes, I mean, if that's okay," David says and then he, like -- he looks down at his feet, and then back up at Allison and she's just -- she's dead, okay. She would do pretty much anything for that boy, because he's just _looking_ at her, with these big brown eyes and this impossibly hot stare, all intense and aimed at _her_, and there should be _laws_ against that stare. Allison swallows slightly.

"That's awesome," she says, and she means it to sound all confident and in control but her voice cracks halfway through. David fucking _beams_ at her, all shiny white teeth and crinkled up eyes and Allison can't quite believe that he's asking her out. That he likes her _back_, because -- She can't even believe someone this awesome exists, actually. Apart from Kris and Adam and they're pretty much gay for each other.

"Great," David says. "So I'll pick you up at eight? Is that okay?"

Allison tosses her hair over her shoulder in a bid to regain her confidence and says, "Well, no _shit_ that's okay, Archuleta. I've only been crushing on you since, like, Algebra class."

David pulls a face at her cursing, like always, but then his eyes widen and Allison can tell the exact moment when what she's said begins to register. And then he narrows his eyes and says, "Gosh, Allison, you weren't sick at all, you liar!"

"What was I supposed to say, man? Hey, I'm in love with you?"

"You just did!" David points out and Allison rolls her eyes (because of course she can say it _now_, when she knows he likes her back) and pushes him a little bit.

"Whatever, I'll see you at eight. You better not be late," she adds, poking him in the chest and David bats her hand away.

"I won't be," he promises, and Allison was only joking but his eyes go all dark and he does that intense thing and she is just -- she's completely in love with him, is all. And it's a little bit scary.

\---

Allison doesn't see Kris until Friday night, when she goes over to his house for their regular movie night, but she called him after David asked her out to tell him. She's saved the details until Adam's there too, of course, and they get a tub of ice cream out of the fridge. Kris usually demands popcorn, but Allison puts her foot down. Tonight, she has decided, is an ice cream night. Kris doesn't argue too much, which in itself should make Allison suspicious, but she's too busy being triumphant over the tub of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough in her hands to think anything of it.

"Aaw, you got my favourite!"

"Yeah, because we knew you'd bitch all night if he didn't," Adam explains, with a wave of his hand. "Now come sit down next to me and tell me all about this date."

"Date?" Allison repeats, before her mind catches up and she narrows her eyes at Kris. "You told him!"

"Oh, like _you_ weren't gonna," Kris says easily. "I just saved you the flailing."

"I do not flail," Allison says loftily, ignoring Adam's squawk of disagreement on her other side. "Look, I don't know, it just kinda happened, you guys."

"Well, it's gonna happen with our approval," Kris says and then shrugs. "We just wanna go with you, Allison."

"Go _with me_?" Allison shrieks, as Adam grabs her wrist to stop her from accidentally throwing the ice cream onto the carpet, and maybe she flails a little bit but it's totally needed right now.

"It's all yours," Adam says when Kris looks at him, raising his hands.

"You can't come with me," Allison says, narrowing her eyes in Kris's direction. If Kris breaks, Adam will follow. Unfortunately, Kris is harder to break. With Adam, all Allison has to do is give him the eyes, but Kris is immune to that -- probably because she sees him more often. Kris just laughs at her sob stories, but whatever. Allison does not want Adam and Kris intruding on her date (her _date_, wow) with David, she will do whatever it takes to stop them, okay.

"Uh, yeah, we can," Kris says easily, slipping his arm around Allison and squeezing. "I'm not just gonna let you go to a club with a bad reputation -- don't give me that look, Alli, we've all heard about it -- without me and Adam coming along to keep an eye on you."

"Adam and _I_," Allison corrects him. She doesn't even know if it's correct or not, but it'll irritate Kris at least. "And I can take care of myself, you know I can, I'm not a baby. You're only a year older than me, c'mon."

"Look, we'll stand by the bar the whole time, you won't even know we're there," Kris says reasonably. "We're not babying you it's just -- it's moral support."

"I don't need moral support," Allison mutters, but she's got to concede that Kris has a point. She trusts David implicitly but the idea of going to a club, and seeing _David Cook_ -- the guy's, like, a local legend. Maybe Allison _would_ feel better knowing that she had friends there and at least this way if David has to wander off then Allison won't look like a total loser standing on her own. "You promise not to embarrass me? Or even, like, acknowledge me?"

"I feel like we're her _parents_," Adam says cheerfully. "Does this mean we get to give you a curfew as well?"

"Oh my God, shut up," Allison insists, and elbows Adam in the stomach a little harder than she meant to. 

Adam grabs her wrist, shaking his head. "Uh-uh, you better be careful or I'll tell your new boyfriend all about the time you threw up on my shoes."

"You will not, you can't even work that into conversation," Allison argues. "And besides, if you do then I'll tell Kris about what _really_ happened--"

"Woah, okay, quit arguing," Kris interrupts, recognising the danger signs. "I don't want to know whatever it is you're threatening to tell me, and Adam isn't going to tell David anything, okay?"

"Promise?" Allison asks sulkily, and eats a heaped spoonful of ice cream to cheer herself up. And then another.

"Promise," Kris says, glaring at Adam over her head who rolls his eyes.

"Fine, I promise. I just want to make sure that he's good enough for you, Alli."

Allison softens (after another spoonful or two of ice cream) because, honestly? Her friends are amazing and probably the best in the world and she knows that they're just looking out for her. But that doesn't change the fact that Adam could well inadvertently ruin possibly the best thing she's got going for her right now. "I know. But I can decide that for myself, okay? When I want your approval, I'll bring him to meet you. No talking to him at the show tomorrow night."

"I'm judging if he's cute or not," Adam says, but Allison knows him well enough to recognise defeat when she hears it and grins triumphantly.

"Sure. Now open wide." She spoons some ice cream into his mouth as Kris gets up to choose the DVD, muttering something about the crazy ice cream fiends he's friends with under his breath. He settles back next to Allison in time for the opening credits, stealing a mouthful of ice cream from her spoon. It's Ferris Bueller's Day Off, _again_, but Allison is warm in between Adam and Kris (apart from the cold tub of ice cream soaking through her jeans right now, but whatever) and she leans her head on Adam's shoulder as she hears Kris mouth the lines along with the movie.

Sometimes, she doesn't need anything more than this.

\---

Axium are loud and heavy and Allison can feel the bass thrumming through her and it's everything she thought it would be and more. She keeps commenting on the songs to David, and if it's partly because she likes the way he has to lean close to her in order to shout his reply, likes the feeling of his breath tickling her hair, well. That's her business. Axium's set ends all too soon, sadly, and they go to the bar to get some water to drink. Allison is parched and sticky but she feels the same buzz she always gets after live music, whether performing or not, and she can't stop talking animatedly about David Cook.

"Oh," David says, and then glances sideways at her, squeezing her hand. "Do you want to meet him?"

Allison widens her eyes, unsure of whether she's heard him correctly. "Do _I_ want to meet _David Cook_?"

"That's... what I asked," David says, smiling unsurely and Allison gasps loudly.

"Like, no shit, I wanna meet him! But how do you, like, _know_ him?"

David looks completely amused by the whole situation. "I thought I told you? Cook's, um, pretty much my best friend, actually?" 

Allison is one hundred percent sure that David _hadn't_ told her because she'd totally remember something like that -- like her... whatever-he-is right now being best friends with a total rock star. This is just awesome, Allison can barely believe she's not dreaming. Only she's never even had a _dream_ this awesome, and just -- wow. She realises that David's still talking and tunes back in.

"..so yeah, I mean, he wanted to meet you since I mentioned you but he can be a little protective sometimes, I wasn't sure," David admits and, oh right, there's a catch. She's not just meeting _David Cook_, she's also meeting David's-best-friend. Huh. 

She glances over at Adam and Kris, who are dutifully trying to look like they're not watching every single move she _makes_, and back at David. "Okay, sure, but my friends are just over there and they kinda wanna meet you, too."

"Oh my heck, I feel like I'm meeting your parents," David says, but his smile doesn't falter so Allison figures it's pretty much okay. "Um, should I just go over and be all, hi, I'm Allison's..." He trails off, having the same 'what do we _call_ each other' moment as Allison did, but covers it pretty quickly with, "Allison's date?"

Allison doesn't think she'd mind calling him her boyfriend, as it happens, but it's their first date and even though she's known him for -- wow, for actually quite a while now, she doesn't want to take it too fast and change her mind and hurt David. Seriously, hurting David would be the last thing Allison would ever want to do.

"I'll introduce you," she decides. "Besides, you know Kris already. And Adam! See, you're totally already down with him."

"I've met Kris _one time_," David argues, as Allison grabs his hand and marches him over to where Adam and Kris are leaning against the bar. "And I don't know Adam, I know _of_ Adam, everyone did, oh my gosh."

"Hey!" Allison says, ignoring David and beaming up at Kris and Adam. She's beginning to have second thoughts about leaving David alone with them, but Kris'll keep it in hand and Allison has enough dirt on Adam by now that her vengeance will be swift and brutal if he steps out of line. "So David's just gonna take me over there and introduce me to _David Cook_\--"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Adam interrupts, raising an eyebrow at David. "You might not get your girlfriend back."

David obviously has no idea what to say to that, opening and closing his mouth and glancing at Allison, who punches Adam in the arm. "Shut up, jerk, this is only our first date. I'm trusting Kris to keep you under control, okay. Kris, are you listening? Don't let Adam frighten him off. And don't be frightened by Adam," she adds, turning to David. "He's like a pussycat, I swear."

"Miaow," Adam says, curling his hand into a claw and Allison is having, like, _third_ thoughts about leaving David alone but then he glances over her shoulder and says, "Oh, Cook's over there!"

"David _Cook_," Allison breathes, clasping her hands together, and Adam nods at David and says, "Seriously, keep an eye on this one." Allison turns back to stick her tongue out at him and when she turns back around Cook is stood in front of her and wow, he's even hotter up close. Allison wouldn't tap that, because she's actually happy with her _own_ David as it happens, but from a purely objective point of view? Holy shit, he's _hot_.

"Hey, Archie, how's it going?" Cook says, clapping a hand on David's shoulder and Allison narrows her eyes at him because, yes, okay, he's David Cook but he still can't just put his hands all over David like that, okay. Cook slants his gaze sideways at her and tightens his grip on David's shoulder. "Are you going to introduce me?"

"Oh, gosh, yeah," David says, beaming at Cook. "I'm actually going to go back over there, to talk to Allison's friends, but you two should hang out! And be friends! This is Allison," he adds, bumping his shoulder lightly against hers and Allison gives Cook her most brilliant smile. He looks more amused than anything and Allison feels uncomfortably young, even though Cook's only a year older than her.

"I'll catch you later," Cook says to David, who smiles before heading off, leaving Allison alone with Cook. He gives her the once-over -- not in a creepy, my-date's-friend-is-hitting-on-me way (although David Cook? Hitting on her? Allison might actually _implode_) but more in a... well, more like he's sizing her up as a potential threat. Which is kind of a compliment, really. Allison is totally a threat and she appreciates that he recognises that.

"So Archie's pretty into you," Cook says, with no preamble, and Allison is floored. 

She doesn't show it though, tossing her hair over her shoulder before answering. "Well, shit, I hope so; I'm pretty into him, too."

"You'd better not hurt him, is all," Cook continues, still sounding casual. "Because I'd have to kick your ass if you do and I don't really want to. I think I'd take you down pretty easily."

"Huh," Allison says thoughtfully. "I don't know, I'm a lot tougher than I look. I'd bust a cap in your ass, son."

Cook keeps a straight face for five whole seconds before he cracks up laughing, bending over as Allison just stands in front of him with her arms folded over her chest. "Hey, Archie!" he shouts, when he finally straightens up. "This one's a keeper!"

"Aaw, thank you, David Cook!" Allison says cheerfully. "You know, I'm a huge fan. I didn't want to say before in case you thought I was kissing ass -- which, by the way, I totally am doing now -- but seriously, I love Axium. I love the music, you're basically everything I want to be. Not that I wanna be a guy, I just wanna be a rockstar, ya know?"

Cook smiles widely and says, "Of course I know, I'm amazed that I'm up on that stage every time. What's your favourite song? We should get you up on stage to sing it with us next time."

Allison widens her eyes and says, "Shit, son, I think I'd _die_ if you did that. Like, holy shit, hold me. You'd totally have to let me sing Clean Break, I could do the intro and everything!" She pauses to lower her voice and says, totally deadpan, "This next song is about a bitch."

Cook starts laughing again and another guy comes over to say something to him, stopping when he sees Allison. "Dave, mate, you might want to back away from the jailbait."

"Don't worry, Johns, this is Archuleta's... What are you? Date?" Cook asks and Allison nods.

"Something like that. We're not really... anything. Yet."

"Well, the fact you added 'yet' is a good sign," the guy says, and Allison recognises him as Michael Johns, who opens for Axium sometimes. Seriously, she is so fucking starstruck right now, this is the best date ever without a doubt. She'd make out with David even if she didn't already want to just because he deserves it, after tonight. David Cook _and_ Michael Johns, it's amazing. 

She turns back to where David's still stood with Kris and Adam and winces; it might not be such a good night for him. "I'm gonna go rescue David from my friends. See, you can tell I'm totally into him if I'm leaving you two," she adds, flailing at them a little bit. "You're only, like, my inspiration."

"I like this one," Michael Johns says (_Michael Johns_, seriously, how is this Allison's life?), smiling at her, and Allison has to tear herself away. "Go get him, tiger!" he yells after her and Allison starts laughing in spite of herself, so much that she's still giggling when she makes it back over to David and her friends.

"Hey, you're back," Kris says, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiles, and Allison finds David's hand automatically.

"Did they scare you away?" she asks, ignoring Adam's pout. "Whatever they said about me, it's a lie. All of it. Even the nice things."

Kris and Adam are laughing at her -- and why is everyone doing that tonight? So annoying! -- so Allison pulls a face at them and turns to David. "You wanna go outside?"

"Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to get something to eat," David says, and smiles that wide innocent smile that always catches Allison off guard. "I think The Cheesecake Factory is still open."

\---

The Cheesecake Factory _is_ still open, even though it's midnight by the time they've been seated and got their menus. "What do you want to order?" David asks and Allison says, "Cheesecake," without even thinking about it. 

She's totally craving cheesecake right now, although she does a doubletake when she looks at the menu properly. "Oh man, they've got, like, hundreds of cheesecake, I never realised. I usually get too stuffed after my main course, I've never had dessert from here before. Oh my God, look, they've got Oreo cheesecake -- or wait, Red Velvet cheesecake, what even _is_ that?"

"I think I'm just going to get the original," David says and then grins and says, "Actually, you want to share? Peanut Fudge Butter -- here, look at that one."

"Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple," Allison reads, and starts laughing. "Dude, is that even a flavour? It looks like they just shoved a bunch of words together. I love the fact it's Adam's, though, we have to get that."

They eat in silence when it arrives, with a fork each, but it isn't awkward. It shouldn't be, not when they know each other so well; they've had a ton of silences before which haven't been awkward. This, Allison thinks, as she scarfs down her half of the cheesecake (which is _really_ good), is why it's good to date someone who was a friend first; it's just like hanging out. With the bonus that she finds David really cute.

"So I had a really nice night tonight," she says after a while and David's entire face lights up.

"You did? Oh my gosh, good, I was really worried you'd think it was totally lame or something."

"No, I loved it," Allison says and she leans over the table and kisses him before she can think about it. It's just a quick peck on the lips, not some heavy make out or something, but the minute Allison sits back down in her seat she wants to do it again. David just grins at her, with an edge of wickedness that Allison's never seen before, and says, "Awesome, so I guess that means we can have a second date?"

The next day at school, Allison doesn't hesitate to drag David around a corner and kiss him again. He pulls back to say something to her, but Allison wraps his tie around her hand and tugs him back down for another kiss. David doesn't complain and even walks her to her locker afterwards. 

He's totally her boyfriend.

It's nice.


End file.
